In closing, I hope this write up can help some of you sort through the complicated online opinions you have no doubt come across. I have no loyalties to any of these companies, and I own all 3 of these chassis. I wanted each one of them to work well, since it would make my life easier, but like everything else in life, not everything is equal. Trust me, if I could say they were all great, I would. As they say, variety is the spice of life. Each of these chassis have a very specific place in terms of the beginner.
My obvious choice is the MST FXX-D ISF, followed by the Yokomo Drift Package Type C w/ RWD Conversion Kit. Both have a great upgrade path and both are top performers.
The Final Breakdown:
$165 - 3Racing Sakura D4 with Gyro.
Pros:
Cheapest Price
Cons:
Difficult and costly to get working
Build quality and materials are sub par
Tuning options limited in stock form
Proprietary parts make upgrading difficult
$175 - MST FXX-D IFS with Gyro.
Pros:
Best Bang for the Buck (Within $10 of the cheapest of the 3)
Highly Recommended
Beginner to Expert
Works Extremely Well Out of the Box
Designed to be RWD from the ground up
Can be converted to VIP Version
Many Upgrades Available
Great Aftermarket Support
Instructions In English
Cons:
Some upgrades needed to make solid
Plastic not as ridged as it could be
$435 - Yokomo Drift Package Type C + Yokomo RWD Conversion Kit with Gyro.
Pros:
Highly Recommended
Intermediate to Expert
Works Extremely Well with Tuning
High Quality Materials
10+ Years of proven performance
Many Upgrades Available
Great Aftermarket Support
No upgrades necessary
Cons:
Price (Highest cost of the 3)
Doesn't work well without RWD Tuning knowledge
10+ Year old design
Instructions in Japanese Only
